Life isn't a dream
by bring me the pizza
Summary: Katniss picked Peeta at the end of mockingjay but a dream about Gale makes her want to change all that... set after mockingjay but the epiloge never happened.
1. Chapter 1

**Heyy! so this is my first fanfic ever so its probably not very very good! at the moment its a one-shot but if i get good reviews n stuff then i might write more.**

**I hated the end of mockingjay because she picked Peeta (even htough i do like peeta a bit) But im like 100% TEAM GALE! **

**And thanks ot Fireflyllama for persuading me to post this! xx**

**hope you like it! **

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><p><em>I'm standing in the meadow. The vibrant green grass tickles my ankles as I slowly walk forward. My long dress floats around me in the breeze. I look up at the sky and it looks different, like it's happy, it seems wrong. I'm in District 12 but it's changed. It's alive. The air isn't filled with coal dust like it used to be and millions of flowers grow around me. Someone's hand slips into mine and I look down at the little girl holding my hand tightly with hers. She's from the seam alright; dusty grey eyes, brown hair and dark olive skin. She looks about five or six and reaches just below my waist meaning she's tall for her age. She looks like him. A lot.<em>

"_Mummy, mummy! Run quickly Daddy is counting, we've got to hide!" She says giggling and dragging me towards the woods._

"_Ok, Ok I'm coming" I say running after her._

"_Mum! Ruella! Wait for us!" We spin around to look at who it was. A tall boy and a smaller girl run towards us. The boy looks the same as Ruella, the little girl holding my hand. He's only about fourteen but he's over six foot. Just like his farther was when I first met him in the woods all those years ago._

_But the girl is different; same dark skin but her hair is blonde and her eyes aren't grey. They're Prims eyes, not mine. They're a clear blue, bluer than the sky, bluer than the sea in district 4. Thinking of district 4 reminds me of Finnick. He did nothing wrong. They had no right to kill him. The Capitol. Pfft. The Capitol. The thought makes me shiver._

"_Hurry up Finn and Prim! Your soooooo slow!" Ruella shouts to them. _

_We named them in memory of Finnick and Prim and Ruella after Rue, sweet little Rue. Sometimes I wish Rue was alive instead of me, she had her whole life ahead of her but now she's gone. Gone and never coming back. Never. But I stop my self from thinking about the bad things, I think of what I've got now. I have a family, People who love me. There's no capitol ruling over us, no Hunger Games, no peacekeepers. Life is good._

"_Sorry Rue!" Finn mumbles._

"_Ready or not, here I come!" Someone calls from far away. We all look at each other and Finn scoops Prim and Ruella up in his arms and runs towards the woods. I stand there shaking my head and laughing._

"_You had better run Mrs Hawthorne!" Gale shouts, running towards me._

"_Oh yeh, bet you can't catch me!" _

"_Bet I can!" He calls as I sprint off after the others. It's only a few seconds though before he's caught me and is spinning me around until I'm dizzy. He kisses me as he sets me back down on the ground. We both stare at each other. I wonder what he's thinking because for once I can't tell. He just stands there with his arms wrapped tightly round my waist and a smirk on his face. Before I know it he's pinned me to the ground with my arms above my head and is tickling my stomach._

"_Ga-le-St-op –it – no-w!" I manage to choke out in between fits of laughter. But he doesn't stop. The tears stream down my face as I roll around and try to get him off me. I haven't laughed this much in a long time. Gale finally stops tickling me. He leans down and kisses me softly as I snake my hands through his hair. I couldn't go any where even if I wanted to. But we have to break apart for air. I laugh as he wipes the tears of my face with his thumb. _

"_I love you Catnip," He whispers_

"_Love you too Gale" He kisses me again but not for long as we are interrupted by ewwww's and awkward coughing._

_We both sit up looking at our three kids that are now standing in front of us after getting bored of waiting for someone to find them. Finn pretends to be looking at something in the distance and Prim and Rue try hard to stop their giggling. I look at Gale and we all start laughing._

"_Sorry!" We both say as we get up off the grass. _

"_So I guess this means I win!" _

_We all look towards the woods where a girl has just jumped down out of a tree and is brushing the dirt off her hands._

"_It's not fair!" Ruella shouts while stamping her foot and folding her arms. "Just cos you're the oldest doesn't mean you can win every time Lily!" She huffs then sticks her tongue out at Lilly. She does the same back. Lilly looks exactly like me when I was her age but she's taller like the rest of our kids. Gale ruffles Ruellas hair which makes her calm down and she gives Lilly a hug. They argue a lot but I know Lilly would do anything for her little sisters, just like I would have for Prim. _

"_Race you back to the house!" Prim shouts already running away and Ruella follows her. Me, Gale, Finn and Lily all look at each other, they roll their eyes but we all run after the little ones catching them up easily._

I wake up. I'm not screaming like I normally am. No, I'm happy for once in my life. A smile spreads across my face and I feel like running round the streets telling the world how happy I am. Then I'm snapped back into reality and I realise where I am. I realise it's not Gales warm arms wrapped around me. It's Peeta's. I realise its not Gales body pressed against mine. It's Peeta's. I feel trapped. I need to get out. I need the freedom of the woods. I need Gale.

It was just a dream. But I still have time to change that don't I? I don't want it to be a dream. I want it to be real. I want to be with Gale. I want him to kiss me and tell me he loves me. I want to play hide and seek with my kids. I want to be the girl in the dream. Not the dull lifeless person I am now.

_My name is Katniss Everdeen. I'm nineteen years old. I live in the newly built District 12. The capitol doesn't rule over us anymore. My sister is dead. I was the mockingjay and I lead the rebellion. I'm supposed to be in love with Peeta Mellark. But I'm not. I'm in love with Gale Hawthorne._

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><p><strong>Ok well what do you think? pleaseee pleasee review because it will make me very happy!<strong>

**if you want me to write more tell me!**

**thanks - xxx**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey! so I decided to continue this but it wont be very long. This chapter is no way as good as the last so PLEASEEEE dont expect too much!**

**Also thanks to everyone who reviewed! luv u all loads xxxx :D**

**AND... the film was AMAZINGGGGG! and did anyone else notice the Cato/Glimmer moments in there?**

**disclaimer: I don't own The Hunger Games cos if I did, Gale and Katniss would have ended up together and i wouldn't need to write this fanfic! but did you really think i did in the first place? and sadly I don't own Liam Hemsworth (who, lets face it, is really fit!) **

**Hope you guys like it...**

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><p>I manage, with great difficulty, to slide out of Peeta's arms without waking him. I go into the bathroom and stare at myself in the mirror. I'm practically dead. My hair is matted and there are black marks under my eyes. I look bad. In fact that's a very big understatement. I pull on my old hunting clothes and boots and slip out of the house. As soon as I get outside I run. Run as fast as I can to the woods. The only place that I can really be myself. I can be who I want to be in the woods. Its only place where I can feel close to Gale. But before I get there I stand in the meadow and look around me. I think about my dream and I can almost imagine the little girls hand in my own. I look down, hoping, but she's not there and I remind myself that life isn't a dream. My life will never be like that dream because the odds have never been in my favour and they never will be. As I get to were the fence used to be, there's a rumble of thunder and it starts raining heavily. I'm completely soaked in a few seconds but I don't care, I love the rain. I love the wind. I love storms.<p>

My bow is still stashed in its old place. I take it out and quickly shoot a rabbit that has just hopped out from behind a tree but my arrow misses. Then I realise just how strong the wind is. There's no chance of me catching anything today, not that I need to. I could go back home but then I would have to talk to Peeta and I don't want to at the moment. I could go to my place by the lake but I would rather stay here and watch the rain fall and think of Gale. Everything about this day reminds me of him; the strong wind reminds me of his name, the deep gray of the sky reminds me of his eyes and now I'm sitting in our place looking over District 12 but It feels to big now that I don't have Gale next to me.

I must have been sitting here for a few hours, never letting my thoughts wander away from Gale. The rain keeps falling around me and thunder still rumbles in the distance. I'm shivering from the cold and I'm probably going to be ill but I still don't move, just pull my legs up to my chest and rest my head on my knees.

"You're gonna freeze to death out here catnip."

It's not him. No it couldn't be, could it? Don't be stupid Katniss he's in District 2 and he has some fancy job, why would he come here? I slowly raise my head of my knees and he is standing there. He looks amazing. I don't know what to do so I just sit there staring into his eyes.

"You came back," I state.

"I wanted to see you."

"Oh, how long had you been standing there?" I ask getting up of the wet ground.

"About 5 minutes."

"Stalker." I say back whist laughing. This is why I love Gale so much. I can talk to him about anything and even after a year of not talking or seeing each other, we can still talk like we have never been apart. It's free and easy, just like it used to be before the stupid games.

"How'd you know I would be here?"

"Are you being serious? I know you better than anybody in the whole world and you don't think I know you love storms? You love them because there exciting they make you feel alive and I remember because that's exactly how they make me feel,"

I laugh. He's right, like usual. I walk up to him and give him a hug which he returns happily. I breathe in and it makes me happy. Gale smells of the woods just like he always did. He smells of home. Maybe he hasn't changed that much, I hope not. I want the old Gale back. My best friend, except now I don't want him to be my best friend. I want more. I grab the back of his shirt and pull him closer to me, scared that if I don't he might let go. He pulls away slightly and rests his forehead on mine, looking into my eyes.

"Missed you Catnip."

"I missed you too Gale."

His breath was warm against my wet face. His lips were so close they were practically touching mine. Then finally he pressed his lips into mine and it was amazing, better than any of my kisses with Peeta by a long way. They didn't even compare to this. I never knew his lips were so soft and my heart was pounding so fast I swear it was going to explode. I drew my lips up into a smile and pulled away.

"I love you Gale."

He didn't respond, just leaned back in to kiss me. This time it felt even better as Gale's hands go around my waist and pull me in as close as humanly possible, deepening the kiss at the same time. Gale's kisses breathe life back into me and my body feels alive. His hands slowly slip under the hem of my top and lightly draw patterns on my stomach that makes my whole body tingle and shiver. His hands start to rise up my body and I know I can't let it go this far, at the moment. I don't want this to end but it has to sometime.

"Gale stop, not here, not now," He pulled away slowly and I feel lost without his touch.

"Whatever you say Catnip, anyway you need to go home and get dry."

"Only if you come with me"

"What about Peeta?"

"I don't care about Peeta, I want you Gale. I wanna be with you and have your kids and all that other stuff"

"How come you changed your mind?"

"I had a dream; we were in the meadow playing hide and seek with our 4 kids, Lilly, Finn, Prim and Ruella and everything was amazing, And ever since then I can't stop thinking about it. I realised that's what I want."

"I want that too, come on lets go."

"My legs are too cold to move."

"Ok" Gale says whilst walking towards me, a smirk on his face.

"AHHHH! Gale put me down" I scream at him as he picks me up and starts to walk back to the victors' village.

"Ermmm, let me think about that for a while... no!"

With that he carries me, laughing and screaming, all the way back to my house. And thankfully Peeta must have left when he realised I was gone.

"I'm going to take a shower"

"Maybe I will come with you." Gale half asks, I nod my head and he follows me up the stairs.

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><p><strong>Ok so I know it was rubbish! and the endin was probably really weird but i didnt really know how to put it so yeh...<strong>

**and sorry for spelling n stuff thats wrong, and i kinda just made the fact that she likes storms up and thats probably really wrong but oh well!**

**Pleaseeee pleaseeee review because it will make me very very happy! :D**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey! im sooooo sorry I havent't updated for ages! And this chapter will probably be a big dissapointment! (sorry) Its in Peeta's POV because I always read fics where Katniss and Peeta are married and then Gale comes back, sooo I though why not do one where Peeta comes back.**

**This is probably really bad so just please tell me if it is! And its really short aswell! So im just gonna say a SORRY for everything being really bad!**

**I really need to say thanks to Fireflyllama (check out her fics cos they are really good :D) and Ellenka, editinggenious, Calypso1211 for reviewing both chapters and anyone else who reviewed/subscribed/favorited!**

**oh and one more thing... I have got two stories on Fictionpress so feel free to check them out! my name is Daughter of Athena x**

**ok here is chapter 3...**

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><p>It was late last night when I got back from District 6. I have been living there ever since the day Katniss, the only person I have ever really loved, told me she was in love with <em>him. <em>I couldn't stand seeing them together so that's why I moved to District 6, one of the least popular districts. But after ten years I decided it was time to come back home and visit my old friends that survived the bomings. My house in the victor's village has been empty for the last ten years and I found everything just how I left it.

Now it's about one in the afternoon and I was just washing some baking equipment when I saw her. Shiny, long brown hair braided down her back, misty grey eyes and her lightly tanned skin. She still looks beautiful. Maybe even more than she used to be. I continue to stare at her until I notice she's not alone. No, she's defiantly not alone. Walking along side of her is Gale carrying a girl of about ten on his shoulders. The girl looks exactly like Katniss. Between them is a boy that's quite tall and has a bow and some arrows slung over his shoulder. There's another little girl skipping along in front of them. I look at them all walking along with my mouth slightly open in shock. They all look so happy, especially Katniss.

"Me and your mum are going to go and make some lunch." I hear Gale say whilst putting the girl he was carrying down.

"Can we play outside pleaseeeeeee?" asks the girl.

"Ok, be careful and look after Summer," Katniss tells them whilst bending down to kiss the smallest girl, who I presume is called Summer, on the forehead. She gets up and walks into her house with Gale's arm wrapped around her.

I can't help but think that they could have been my children. I could have had a happy life with Katniss, but no, she chose Gale. I guess she just chose who she couldn't live without. And it wasn't me. Somewhere in the back of my mind I always knew it would be Gale that she would chose. But I never gave up on her. I was the one who was there to stop her nightmares and comfort her, I was the one who looked after her when the rebellion was over. Not Gale.

I continue to watch Katniss through the big kitchen window in her house, unable to take my eyes of her. She is laughing at something Gale did and until now I didn't realise that she is a few months pregnant. I didn't notice before because she had her father's old hunting jacket on. Seriously, what happened to her never wanting kids? I look back at them and then wish I hadn't. Gale has pulled her in close to him and has started kissing her. God, I hate him so much. I lower my head and continue washing dishes. I knew I shouldn't have come back here, and I wouldn't of if Delly hadn't asked me to. I should really go and see her I think to myself. When I'm finished washing up I pull on my coat and head outside towards Delly's house, trying but failing to get passed without Katniss noticing me.

"Peeta! Peeta!" I hear just seconds after I step out of my old house.

I stop and look up at her. For some reason she is soaking wet. She looks even nicer close up, her grey eyes still shine and her hair is still the same shade of brown but now she looks older. She's not the sixteen year old girl I first went into the games with anymore.

"Hey! When did you come back?" she asks smiling at me.

"Last night," I reply flatly.

"Oh, do you wanna come in and have some lunch? I'm sure Gale wouldn't mind"

"I wouldn't mind what?" Gale asks from behind us. "Oh. Hey Peeta, what are you doing here?"

"Visiting Delly, and its ok Katniss, I have to go."

"Ok see you around sometime." She says sounding a bit disappointed.

"I'm glad you're both happy." I say and start walking towards Delly's unable to look at her any longer. I can feel her staring at me as I walk away but I don't turn around. She left you Peeta, get over her, I tell my self. And now I finally think I can.

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><p><strong>Ok i told you it was bad! <strong>

**pleaseeeee pleaseee review! even if its just one word or something! and I always reply to review aswell so jusr REVIEW! :D**


	4. Author note

**Hey! THIS ISN'T AN UPDATE!**

**I am just saying that I'm not gonna continue this story because I have no more ideas!**

**If you do have any you can PM me or leave a review! :D**

**I might start writing another Gale/Katniss fic though =D**

**An I just want to say a MASSIVE THANK YOU to all the people who alerted, favourite and reviewed!**

**I LOVE YOU ALL LOADS! :D :D :D**

**xx**


	5. Chapter 4

**Hey! So I had an idea for another chapter but now that I actualy wrote it I don't think I like it...**

**Review and let me know! :D**

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><p>Cold. Really really cold. That's what I feel. I turn over but what I expect to see isn't there. Gale isn't there, which is strange because Gale would always wake me up if I slept for too long. I'm sure he is just downstairs. After changing into my normal clothes I go and check if our children are still asleep. Their beds are empty. Surely Gale wouldn't have gone to the woods with them this early, it's still dark outside. I go downstairs and there is a note on the floor. All it says is: <em>Woods. <em>But that's not Gale's handwriting. I have a very strong feeling that something bad has happened. Something very bad.

As soon as I open the door I smell it. The sickly sweet smell of roses. Normally roses don't have that strong a smell. This could only mean one thing. Snow. There on the top step is a white rose. I bend down and pick it up, careful to avoid the thorns on the stem. I have to put my hand over my nose because the overwhelming odour is that strong. Why would Snow leave a rose here? Why have Gale and our children strangely disappeared? And isn't Snow dead?

I rip the petals off the flower one by one and then let them fall out of my hand and they scatter in the breeze. This rose can be torn apart and that means the Capitol can be too. I've done it once already and I'm ready to do it again. I'll do whatever it takes for Gale and my children to be safe. To be free from the Capitol. I've fought for them my whole life and Snow isn't going to stop me again.

A scream comes from the woods. A girl's scream. Not a sound that could mean happiness and excitement. No, a sound that can only be described as fearful. And worst of all, I know who it is. Someone close to me. Someone I love. In less than a second I've started running to the woods. That's where they are.

It only takes me a few minutes to run there considering the speed I run at. I move swiftly between the trees, hardly making a sound. My hunter's senses immediately pick up the smell of blood. What if that's Gale's blood? No. It's just a trick. Just the smell that Snow has. It's just a trick. It's just a trick...

I only realise it when I've walked into it. A trap just like one of Gale's complex snares. The bait is Gale and my children and now I'm surrounded by peacekeepers in every direction. I'm trapped. Snow has me right were he wants me and I cant do anything about it.

"Katniss run!" Gale screams at me as he struggles against a peacekeeper.

Before I have time to register what he said, two of Snows men grab hold of my arms.

"So nice of you to join us Miss Everdeen. Or should I say Mrs Hawthorne." He turns around and looks me straight in the eye.

"You're dead"

"So I had you believe"

"What do you want with me?" I try to shove the guard's arms of me but their grip gets tighter.

"Ah! Now that would be telling. I thought you and our friends here could have a little bit of fun first."

This is the first time I take a good look around. We are in a clearing not far from the lake my Father showed me. Finn and Lilly are on the ground at the base of a tree, there hands tied behind their backs. They understand, they know the story about Snow and the Hunger Games. But Summer and Ruella don't. They both sit crying on the floor. It was Ruella who screamed before and now I know why. Along her arm is a deep but clean cut that could only have been done by a knife. The blood is still pouring out and dripping onto the ground and collecting in a pool.

"What have you done to her?"

"This is only the start of it Katniss"

I look over to Gale and search for any kind of explanation for what happened. His look tells me that he couldn't stop them.

"Mommm! Help me!" Ruella pleads. I elbow one of the men holding me giving him a bloody nose and stamp on the other ones foot. They release me and I run over to her and pull her into my arms. Her tears seep into the fabric of my shirt and her blood is all over me but I don't care.

"Ssshhh! It's gonna be ok." I can't let him hurt them anymore. I slowly pull away and turn round to face Snow.

"Let them go, I'll do what ever you want."

"I'm afraid I can't do that. You humiliated the Capitol and for that I think you should be punished."

"Fine, I'll do anything. Kill me if you want but let them go"

"It's too late for them Katniss. I'm sure you would like to live your life after all you did fight so hard for it. That's how I got here. I thought that since you destroyed the Capitol, the Capitol should destroy you but I've tried so many times that it has got boring. So now my plan is to kill the people closest to you." He nods to one of the guards who pulls out a gun aimed strait at Gale's heart.

"GALE!"

A loud bang rings out and echoes through the woods whilst I scream for Gale to get away. But he's gone. A cannon booms just like in the arena. Snow laughs as Gale's body falls to the floor. This isn't real. It can't be. No. Gale can't be dead. Can he?

Please don't let this be real.

"Katniss!... Katniss?" My eyes snap open and I find that I'm not in the woods, trapped by Snow. I'm at home with Gales arms wrapped around me.

And for once I'm glad that Life isn't a dream.

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><p><strong>Was that ok? Review and tell me :D<strong>

**I started writing another Galeniss fic about what would happen if Katniss didn't get reaped so look out for it soon :D**

**And check out the poll on my profile and vote for 'Who is your favorite Hunger Games character?'  
>So far Gale is winning! Yay! :D<strong>


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